Robots Have Hearts Too
by The Draigg
Summary: Zenyatta, everyone's favorite Omnic monk, has decided to venture into Remnant in order to get the most out of his meditation. But, he isn't the only person who seeks peace and wisdom in their lives. The cast of RWBY can use Zenyatta's help, and he's more than happy to give it. Who knows, maybe they'll learn something that just might change their lives forever?
1. Chapter 1

**_Robots Have Hearts Too_**

Chapter 1: Woodland Serenity  


 **Heyo, it's The Draigg here! In case you haven't noticed, Overwatch is quickly become a hot market for all sorts of media! Art, stories, keychains, dank memes, you name it! So, I figured "I like Overwatch too, so I should make something for it". And ta-da! I feel like this is something that plenty of people can enjoy, both the RWBY and Overwatch fanbases. But, enough of my ramblings here. Just remember that I don't own anything related to Overwatch or RWBY, and keep on going to the story!**

 **XXX**

Light humming followed a pair of white boots skipping along the dirt path.

In the hazy lighting of the Forever Fall Forest, Nora Valkyrie had no reason not to be her normal, chipper self. Professor Peach had sent out the hunters in training to collect some more tree sap from the nearby forest, after the latest bit of supply used for class projects had mysteriously "vanished". In other words, this was the perfect chance to get even more tasty syrup than the ones normally left in the classroom.

So now, there Nora was, having wandered a ways away from her partner Ren to find even bigger trees. After all, bigger trees meant more and better syrup, right? That was just a simple science fact.

Walking under the shade of the orange and red trees, Nora could hear that she was coming up on a stream. She could hear the water peacefully babbling along stones, along with a light breeze passing through the trees near the water.

In Nora's mind, it made perfect sense to look for big trees near the water. Trees needed water to grow, so trees drank up a ton of water. And if a lot of water is in the tree, that meant that trees got bigger from it. And if the tree was bigger, that meant more syrup for her stomach— no, the class. Totally for the class.

"Dum-dee-dum~" Nora softly sang to herself as she walked off the forest path towards the stream.

Lightly pushing aside the branches of some bushes, Nora walked onto the bank of the creek. The breeze felt great going through Nora's hair. It was times like this that she was glad she could be out here in the forest with Ren. Wait, where was Ren?

" _Eh, he'll catch up. He always does,_ " Nora thought in her head. Ren could never get lost. He was much better with maps and compasses and sextants and star charts and other stuff than Nora could ever be.

Still, the redhead girl couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Maybe she should look or ask around for Ren.

Just as that thought passed through Nora's head, she noticed someone sitting in a lotus position on a rock on a nearby sandy beach. That guy's head must've been really bald, because it was shining a lot from the sunlight.

"Excuse me!" Nora called out to the man, waving at him. The man on the rock looked in her direction, and gave her a single wave in response.

Ah, that was a good response. A nice wave _always_ meant someone was friendly! Undaunted as ever, Nora walked up to the sitting man. As she got closer, she noticed that the person wasn't a man at all, but a robot. Was he one of those new SDC Security robots? Nora wasn't particularly sure, since she didn't have any real experience with interacting with one. Another thing that she noticed was the ring of… metal tennis balls orbiting its neck. Now that was plain weird. Maybe she could ask him to let her play with one later.

"Greetings there," the robot said in a calm, even voice. It reminded Nora of Ren quite a bit. "Are you lost, young one?"

"Uhhh, no I'm not, Mr. Robot. I'm looking for my Ren," Nora replied.

"My name is Tekhartha Zenyatta. And no, I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone. Is Ren your pet?" the robot named Zenyatta asked.

"Ren is my friend!" Nora chirped. "He's taller than me, has a pink stripe in his hair, and has a green shirt."

Zenyatta lowered his head. "I am sorry. I have not seen your friend anywhere. Such is the state of deep meditation, after all."

Meditation? Nora knew that Ren did that from time to time. She tried to do it with him so he wouldn't have to be alone doing it, but Nora just found it boring. So she usually just did her own thing and played on her scroll while she waited for Ren to finish.

"Whatcha meditating about?" Nora couldn't help but ask.

"Many things, and nothing at all," Zenyatta cryptically replied, gesturing to the stream.

"What does that mean?" questioned Nora.

Holding up a finger, Zenyatta explained: "True self is without form. I meditate to release my self from the spiritual gravity of the physical world, if even for a moment. It is through that process that my mind is able to be freed from the pulls of the world around us. That is how I was able to come here, after all. If the physical self is a state of present being, it is by logic that time and space are also."

"So… you're leaving the world by thinking about it?" Nora summed up. She couldn't help but feel a little confused by what Zenyatta was saying. Maybe she could ask Ren later what the robot meant.

"Indeed. You are an astute young lady," Zenyatta said. After a brief pause, he then asked "Pardon my manners, but I do not believe I know your name. What is your name, miss?"

"Oh, I'm Nora Valkyrie!" Nora introduced herself. She extended her hand out to shake Zenyatta's.

The robot took Nora's hand in his and gave it a firm, brief shake. Zenyatta's hand wasn't as cold as Nora thought it would be. If anything, she could feel a nice, pleasant warmth to it. That must've been from the heat of the sun on the metal of his hands.

Letting go of the robot's hand, Nora took a seat on the rock next to Zenyatta. If Zenyatta minded, she couldn't tell. He seemed to have a completely serene look on his face at all times.

"It is very nice to meet you, Miss Nora," Zenyatta said, looking out on the stream. "And, if you like, I can help you find your friend."

"Nah, that's okay," Nora replied. "He always finds me. I dunno how he does it, but he does."

"I see," hummed Zenyatta. He did not wish to press this young lady into doing anything.

A minute passed by in silence, as both Nora and Zenyatta listened to the sound of the rushing water passing over smooth river stones. Nora wasn't normally one to settle down her energy, but sometimes it was important to take a step back and enjoy the nice things about nature. And, for some strange reason, she felt really calm just by being next to Zenyatta. The robot just seemed to be radiating an aura of calm and serenity around him.

"NORA!" a voice suddenly called out from the forest behind the rock.

"See what I mean?" Nora asked with a smile on her face to Zenyatta. Just like she said, Ren _always_ knew how to find her.

Out of the orangish-red bushes staggered Ren, brushing leaves off of his sleeves. Noticing the strange robot sitting next to Nora, Ren immediately grew slightly concerned. It wasn't a normal sight to have Nora be a part of. Yet again, that implied that anything about Nora was normal. That girl was certainly one of a kind in plenty of ways.

"Nora, what is that?" Ren asked his partner.

"Oh, this is Zenigata," Nora replied, hopping off the rock.

Zenyatta didn't mind Nora getting his name wrong. In fact, it wasn't the first, and it wouldn't be the last time that mistake would happen. Turning around to face Ren, Zenyatta introduced himself. "I am Tekhartha Zenyatta. I believe that you are the Ren that Miss Nora was looking for?"

"That's right," replied Ren, exhaling. Tracking Nora down every time she left him always left him a little tired. "Did Nora do anything to you?"

"Nothing of the sort, Mister Ren. I simply was holding a nice conversation with Miss Nora," Zenyatta said lightly, as if the idea of a good conversation to him was exuberantly refreshing.

Nora nodded at Ren. "Hey Ren, is it true that your brain can leave your body by thinking a lot?" she asked.

Ren arched an eyebrow. It was another one of Nora's inherently curious questions, to be sure. "What gave you that idea?"

"Miss Nora wished to know what I was meditating about," Zenyatta explained. "Shall I explain for your benefit?"

Ren relaxed a bit. This robot just radiated calm. And if he too knew about the proper way to meditate, then maybe Nora could learn something from talking to this robot. Maybe it was a good thing that Nora ran across this robot randomly in the forest.

"No thanks. I already know how to meditate," Ren said, leaning on the rock to rest. Nora joined him on his left side, clearly happy that she was back with her partner.

"I must say, this is a wonderful meditation spot. The calm solitude of this area is simply astounding. I may have to come back here for further ruminations," Zenyatta said, this time directed at Ren. He figured that Ren knew the feeling that he was talking about.

Ren nodded. "This place is pretty nice. Maybe I should come here too."

"With Miss Nora, I presume?" added Zenyatta.

"Oh yeah!" piped up Nora. "The syrup around here is great!"

The meditating robot couldn't help but chuckle at the young lady's energy. He had seen that same kind of energy in his good associate Tracer. However, the large hammer slug across the girl's back harness reminded Zenyatta of his other associate, Reinhardt. Zenyatta would be sure to mention Nora to them the next time he saw his Overwatch allies.

"As they say, meditation is best done with like-minded friends. May I suggest that you try it as well, Miss Nora?" Zenyatta offered.

"Well, I'm not so sure about the 'sitting around thinking to get rid of my brain' bit, but I'll go anywhere with Ren," was Nora's response.

"I take it you and Mister Ren are very close?" Zenyatta asked.

Nora blushed at the implication of what Zenyatta said. "Well, we're not together-together, you know, like that. But he's my partner!"

Ren nodded. "Nora and I have been friends for… almost as long as I can remember, actually," he added.

"I see," Zenyatta said. "It sounds like you are more than friends then."

Nora blushed even more. Her face was getting redder than the surrounding forest's trees and bushes at that point. Ren, however, had a better hold on his emotions, even though he was also inwardly a little embarrassed at the implications of what Zenyatta said.

"This bond that you have is even stronger than a friendship," continued on Zenyatta. "From what I can gather, the both of you have a bond that is as unbreakable as a _vajra_. The _vajra_ that you share is the type of feelings that extend even farther than normal interactions between people. Mister Ren, how else would you know how to search for Nora so often, as she put it?"

"Intuition?" Ren guessed.

"It is because the both of you are family. That is the bond that you share. It is a lifelong bond that goes either way, as a sort of road between your hearts. I have rarely seen such a thing between people." Zenyatta paused to lament that last sentence. "It is a shame that people cannot see things so clearly anymore. That is why it is amazing to see the road between your selves. What you have is something very special. Not even death can take away the feelings that you share."

Ren and Nora couldn't help but be stunned into silence by this wise robot's words. To have such things laid out in the open so clearly, so honestly… For the first time in a long while, the pair had remembered the feeling of the tether between each other's hearts. Zenyatta was truly a wise robot to bring out such feelings in teenagers trained to be hardened hunters of Grimm.

"Is… all of that true?" Nora whispered, still in shock.

"It is merely my interpretation," Zenyatta said, turning back to face the stream. "But, it is up to you to see if what I shared with you truly does exist within your hearts."

Ren, on the other hand, laid a hand on the robot's shoulder. Zenyatta didn't appear to mind. If anything, it was rather comforting. There was a warmth to Zenyatta's body, a type that came from a wise heart.

"Your words are very wise, Zenyatta. And very honest. I… think you are right," Ren admitted. Turning to Nora, he then said, "We _are_ like family, Nora."

Nora beamed a warm smile at Ren. Not one of her normal, manic with energy smiles. This one seemed to be a smile from the center of her being. A true smile from her heart. "We need to stick together, ya know?"

Offering a small smile back, Ren nodded. He put an arm around Nora's shoulder and rubbed it ever so slightly. It was if at that very moment that the thread between the souls of him and Nora could be felt. It was their auras resonating, bouncing back on each other. That was the type of feedback they felt. That feeling was just as strong and as unbreakable as diamond.

"Thanks, Zenyatta. I think Nora learned something today," Ren then said to the sitting robot.

"You certainly did too, Mister Ren. Whatever path you take now, it must be nurtured and grown like a lily of the pond. Every living thing needs love, and you are included," Zenyatta said. In a lighter tone, he added "I have a feeling that the pair of you will do fine."

As the robot focused his attention back on the bubbling steam, Ren began to lead Nora away from the rock. They needed to get back to the main group of students, before they lose them deeper into the forest.

"See ya, Zamboni!" Nora said, waving at her new robot friend. "Think you can stop by Beacon Academy later?"

Zenyatta hummed. "I would like that very much."

"Come on, Nora," Ren urged on. Then, to Zenyatta, "It'd be nice to see you again sometime."

"Do not worry, I will be back. I look forward to seeing how the bond between you grows."

Ren offered a quick wave goodbye as Zenyatta replied from behind him. Catching a last glimpse of the robot on the rock, Ren then led Nora back through the brush towards the dirt road in the forest.

Nora couldn't help but keep on smiling as she left behind her robot friend. For not having a squishy brain, he certainly was smart. About as smart as Ren, in fact. Nora really liked that about Zenyatta. She really hoped to see him again soon. Now that was one chill robot.

The day in the Forever Fall Forest was even better than before. Sometimes, it really did pay off to hang around nature for a change.

Sometimes, the things you can learn about yourself and the ones you love can be sweeter than any syrup.

 **XXX**

 **And there you have it! I'm glad Ren and Nora could have a nice introspective conversation with everyone's favorite robot guru, Zenyatta. I know that I'd love to talk to that guy. Maybe the entire cast of RWBY should talk to him, in fact. It certainly resolve a lot of emotional baggage that the cast has. Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this story! I think I did a good job, but I always crave feedback from you readers! And thanks for reading, y'all!**

 **This has been The Draigg, and I'm signing off for now!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Dream Of The Butterfly

 **You fine readers have called out for more, and I, The Draigg, have listened! I've been looking forward to writing this, actually. It's interesting to give the RWBY characters a nice Zen pep-talk and see their reactions. It also being a crossover with Overwatch is more icing on the cake, really. So, without further ado, let's continue on with the adventures of our favorite omnic monk!**

 **XXX**

Zenyatta was having a good day that day.

But what day wasn't good to him? Even when the odds were stacked against him, Zenyatta always looked past whatever adversity faced him and towards the beauty the world naturally had to offer. If he was caught in a firefight along Route 66, Zenyatta would make sure to admire the way centuries of erosion formed impressive rock structures. If Zenyatta paid a work-related visit to Hanamura, he'd try to immerse himself in what Genji himself saw and experienced in his youth.

Such was Zenyatta's view of the world.

However, opportunities to do so were getting narrower and narrower, between Soldier 76 trying to push Talon on the offensive, and some rather unpleasant chaffing between some of his fellow Overwatch colleagues. As it turned out, recruiting a motley crew of do-gooders and mercenaries to save the world didn't exactly lend itself to team cohesion. In that regard, it did pay off to shed his metal skin and traverse different layers of reality using his mind alone from time to time.

In that regard, Zenyatta decided to spend some quality meditation time in Remnant. Even his metal body could feel the radiating beauty of the lands that world contained, even if they were as deadly as they were majestic.

The only sounds that could be heard in Beacon Academy's botanical gardens at night were the babbling of the large decorative garden, and the light electric hum that sounded from Zenyatta's body.

The night around Beacon Academy was more often than not rather relaxed, despite the amount of teenagers wielding weapons designed to painfully rip things apart. Maybe it was due to that stressful life that students tended to go to sleep and stay asleep for quite a while.

Zenyatta leaned in closer to the plants near the fountain. Some stray beads of moisture had settled on the shrub's leaves, and reflected the moonlight brilliantly. Inside the bushes, he then noticed a rather pretty blue butterfly not moving, as if it was asleep.

"I bid you good rest, friend," Zenyatta said quietly to the butterfly. It must certainly be tired after spending a day gathering pollen and flying around lazily.

Hovering around the fountain, Zenyatta then craned his neck to take a good look at the moon. It was interesting how different it looked from Earth's moon, mainly because of how it managed to be broken but not have it constantly rain deadly meteors on the planet's surface. There was something truly interesting in how something so discordant could still be stable. Maybe that was something that the rest of his Overwatch associates would learn in due time.

However, as he looked downwards, Zenyatta noticed someone who was clearly having some issues. On a faraway bench sat a girl in a white dress, and from the way her shoulders were hunched over it looked like she was rather sad.

Zenyatta's metallic heart couldn't allow someone to suffer in silence alone. It wasn't right to let someone be sad and not offer some kind of assistance, in whatever form it may be needed. To that end, the omnic monk hovered his way towards the bench.

"Excuse me, miss," Zenyatta said to the girl, "I couldn't help but notice that you were sad."

"No, I'm fine—" the girl haughtily said, before turning around to look at Zenyatta. "What's your model number, unit?" she then coldly asked.

"Model number?" Zenyatta asked back to the girl.

"I can't believe someone lost an Atlesian Knight…" the girl muttered to herself. Then, directly to Zenyatta, "Tell me your model number so I can return you to your rightful owner."

"I am only owned by myself, miss," Zenyatta replied. He knew it was hard sometimes for humans to accept that Omnics were a free people, but he was sure that in time that everyone would accept that omnics needed to be judged by their character, not the fact that their bodies were metal.

"Do you have a malfunction?" the girl then asked, now sounding fairly annoyed.

"I am not broken in any way. But I cannot say the same of you, judging from the tears on your cheeks," observed Zenyatta. At that, the girl quickly blinked away the tears in her eyes and wiped away the streaks on her face.

"What does a robot like you know anyways…" the girl grumbled bitterly.

"I know that living is not as easy as it may seem to be, even when everything seems better on the outside," Zenyatta offered back.

That seemed to stun the girl into silence, since she dropped her eyes to look away from Zenyatta.

"I am Tekhartha Zenyatta. And who may you be?" Zenyatta gently asked.

"Weiss Schnee," the girl replied. "I'm sure you've heard of me."

Zenyatta hummed, "I take it your name carries some weight."

"I'm only the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company," Weiss said, with a mix of what sounded like pride and disgust.

"I see," Zenyatta replied. "Then what is an heiress doing outside, alone in a garden at night?"

"That's none of your business," spat Weiss, crossing her arms. "I don't see why I have to tell you anything, robot."

"If you had nothing to hide, then you would not be acting so defensive," rebutted Zenyatta. Again, that seemed to make Weiss take a slight pause.

"Shut up!" Weiss then hissed. "I don't have to tell a tin can like you anything! Now go away!"

Zenyatta couldn't help but feel sad for this girl. She was clearly upset, and was using disparaging slurs against him. He knew well enough that epithets like that were only words to hide a person's fears of what they did not understand. Holding out his Orb of Harmony, Zenyatta began to emanate an aura of warm radiance from his golden ball.

"What're you—" Weiss began to demand to know, before she felt very relaxed. The light coming from that orb made her feel like she was wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day, or feeling of a refreshing sea breeze coming from the beach. "Doing…"

"Are you feeling better now?" Zenyatta politely asked, then putting the orb away.

"Y-yeah," Weiss admitted, still amazed at that golden light. Did that robot have some kind of calming Aura power?

"Now, what is troubling you, Miss Schnee?" Zenyatta then lightly asked.

Weiss sighed. She had a rough day that day, and it really did seem like her feelings had started to betray her. Despite having all the money and goods that she could ever want, Weiss still wanted something that couldn't come easily.

"I… I'm having a rough day," Weiss admitted. "I slept in, I didn't study enough for today's test, that _stupid_ Team JNPR tried to start a food fight, Ruby didn't want to spend time with me…"

Weiss flinched at the mention of Ruby. She had no intention of bringing up her partner, it just slipped out when she was listing her complaints about the day. It was too personal of a subject to bring up with a strange, weirdly calming robot.

Zenyatta nodded, noticing Weiss' reaction to mentioning Ruby. "Indeed, your day does sound rather stressful. But what of your associate, this Ruby person?"

Weiss fidgeted with the end of her ponytail. She couldn't believe she was laying out all of her emotions in front of this robot, but at that point she needed to get it out to somebody. "It… made me feel sad that she didn't want to spend time with me. I've really made an effort to be a better person, but… I don't know, I feel like maybe I'm letting her down. Maybe that's why she doesn't want to be around me."

"I see," Zenyatta said, gesturing for Weiss to continue talking.

"And if I'm letting down someone I… care about, then maybe I'm disappointing everyone else too. Nobody wants to be around a loser. Nobody wants to be around some bitchy heiress who can't live up to her full potential in the world. God, why can't I be the person that everyone wants me to be?!" Weiss finally cried. She hiccuped, valiantly struggling to hold back a flood of tears.

Zenyatta hovered over to Weiss' side and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Weiss didn't bother to swat it away, instead allowing Zenyatta to try and comfort her.

"You fear failure, and you fear losing people you care about," surmised Zenyatta.

"What tipped you off?" Weiss growled, angry at her tears. Damn it, a strong person wasn't supposed to cry in front of strangers! She was a strong heiress! But… why didn't she feel like one?

"Would you like to hear a dream I once had?" Zenyatta calmly asked.

Weiss let out a deep sigh. "What does that have to do with this?"

"I assure you, it will make sense in time," reassured Zenyatta, before continuing. "I once dreamt I was a butterfly. In this dream, I had wings, and I flew around nature without a care of the world. Every moment of my life as a butterfly, I felt as happy as could be. To feel the wind beneath my wings as I flew around was most exciting, and I thought that things could not be better than what I experienced in my dream."

"Do robots even dream?"

"Indeed they do. But when I woke up from my dream, I was not sad that it was over. I know of many people who would love to live as that butterfly, and would give up anything to live that life. But, I know that the life of a butterfly is not my life. I am just a mere Omnic, not an insect that flies around and gathers pollen. I did not try to seek out and live a life I knew that was not my own. Instead, I resolved to live as myself, rather than something I think I would rather be."

"What's your point, robot?" Weiss asked, not fully understanding the robot's point.

"The lesson is that you should not try to be something you think you should be. It is best in your life to develop the way you see fit. If you try to live up to what you think others think of you, then you are only going to invite despair into your life. It is good, however, that you see the need to improve yourself for the sake of someone you care about. That is very mature for someone your age. If you try to change yourself because you feel it is important, instead of for the sake of an image to society, then you will attain peace of mind and body."

Weiss was enraptured by Zenyatta's words. He… was right. He was totally right. If Weiss was ever going to have a close relationship with Ruby, then she would need to be the best Weiss she could be for herself, rather than try to juggle the roles that she thought society wanted her to be. And once she was the best Weiss for Ruby, then she could be the best Weiss for everyone. It all made so much sense!

Picking up her head, Weiss said to Zenyatta, "That's very wise of you to say, robo—Zenyatta. Do you do this often? You know… programmed to give advice?"

If Zenyatta had the ability to smile, he would have done so in a heartbeat. "The world is filled with too much despair and grief, weighing down people's hearts. I am simply doing what is right for those feeling unease."

"Thanks for that, then," Weiss said, genuinely thankful for Zenyatta's wisdom. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't call you in for asset recovery."

"And I must thank you for that, Miss Schnee," Zenyatta replied. It wasn't that he could be captured, as he was merely projecting himself on this plane, but the gesture was certainly appreciated.

Weiss' slight smile dropped as she put on a stronger, more serious face. "Now go, before I change my mind," she then said.

Zenyatta could tell that she didn't mean it, judging from her body language. It was pretty clear that Weiss was saying that to try and save some face. Still, now that he was done here, Zenyatta could afford to move on. He was probably needed back at Watchpoint Gibraltar, anyways.

"I do hope we can meet again, Miss Schnee," Zenyatta said, as he waved goodbye to Weiss while hovering away.

"Same here," quietly agreed Weiss.

Once Zenyatta disappeared back into the gardens, Weiss stood up from the bench and started to head towards the dormitories. She would need her rest if she was going to start living for herself.

And, Weiss secretly hoped, maybe she would dream of butterflies.

 **XXX**

 **And there you have it! I'm really glad to be continuing this story. I feel it has plenty of potential. Plus, after writing stuff filled with darkness and despair, it's nice to write a story filled with positive messages without some kind of catch to it. It's certainly a feeling I could be used to. And I hope that all of you like it as well!**

 **Until next time, I'm The Draigg, and I'll be seeing you around!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Checking In With Pupils

 **First of all, let me say how amazed I am at how much this story blew up. Wow! You guys must really like this story! It's definitely getting a lot more traffic than I thought it would, that's for sure. So thanks to everyone for reading it so far! Secondly, the interactions in this chapter are going to be a little bit different than the other ones. I can't have things stick to the same formula too much, right? Anyways, enjoy!**

 **XXX**

That day, Zenyatta was on a mission.

Now, Zenyatta was never one for just leaving his self-claimed pupils hanging out to dry. If he were to talk to them once, he would make sure to make visits now and again to check in on their progress in life. To Zenyatta, a person seeking enlightenment and comfort in their life was a lot like a garden of flowers. They required plenty of attention and love, so that one day they would stand tall and blossom into something beautiful. To that end, Zenyatta would never give up on his students.

So, when Zenyatta heard about Weiss' anxiety about her partner, Ruby, the last time he visited, he made it a point to seek out Ruby. Maybe there was something he could do to bridge the gap between the two and remove that feeling of anxiety. Some would call that being meddlesome, but garden soil never tilled or weeded itself. It was something that needed to be done.

But that could wait for a little bit. Zenyatta still needed to finish the meditation session he was doing with Lie Ren. He hadn't forgotten about him, after all. And as they say, meditation was best done with likeminded friends. If anything, meditating with Ren reminded Zenyatta of meditating with Genji.

"…Thus concludes the session," Zenyatta announced, starting to hover off of JNPR's dorm room floor. Ren had insisted on meditating there, and Zenyatta had no issue with that. Serenity could be found anywhere, as long as one willed it to be.

Standing up, Ren began to stretch out his stiff back. "That was a great session, Master Zenyatta. I really do feel relaxed."

"You are getting closer and closer to pure serenity, Mister Ren," Zenyatta commented back. "I can sense it in you."

"I just hope I can keep it up," said Ren. "Tests are going on, and Nora can get really… worked up about them. As much as I do appreciate her company, she sure can be a lot to handle sometimes."

Zenyatta gave Ren a reassuring nod. "Do not worry, I am sure you will handle things well with Miss Nora. Besides, you can always do what I do whenever there is some ground to be leveled between people."

"And what's that?" Ren asked.

"Tell a joke. Mister Ren, what do you call a group of Omnic executives running a company?"

"I have no idea."

"A circuit board."

There was a brief pause between Ren and Zenyatta. The only thing that broke the silence was a cawing crow outside.

"…I may need to work on my material," Zenyatta conceded. In hindsight, he should have used a different joke. That one that he told only usually got a laugh out of Junkrat and Reinhardt, and probably not because it was intended to be funny in the case of the former.

Ren gave a small reassuring smile to Zenyatta. "Well, you know what they say: Nobody ever stops learning something."

"Indeed," agreed Zenyatta. "I can tell you that I have learned as much from my pupils as much as they have learned from me." At that, Zenyatta started hovering towards the door. "On that note, I need to check in with someone else today. Mister Ren, do you know someone named Ruby?"

Ren nodded. "I know a girl named Ruby Rose. I think she's the only one here at Beacon named Ruby, now that I think about it."

"Excellent. Do you know where I can find her?" asked Zenyatta further.

"Actually, she lives directly across from this room," Ren replied.

"Oh," noted Zenyatta "That is convenient."

"May I ask why you want to talk to her?" Ren inquired.

"I believe it would be rude of me to completely give the details, considering that the issue concerns others as well. But, I will say that I was made aware that this Ruby girl may require my assistance," explained Zenyatta.

Ren's face contorted slightly in though. "Weird. She doesn't really act like she needs help. At least all the times we've been together, that is."

"Sometimes the mask a person hides their emotions with can be so convincing that they themselves may fully believe it," Zenyatta said.

Ren shrugged. "You have a point there. Still, at least ask before you give her help."

"That was the intention," Zenyatta replied with a wave of the hand. "As a certain associate of mine has said before, this is not my first rodeo."

"Rodeo? Those don't exist anymore."

"Granted, my associate who said that has rode a horse only once, despite his fashion sense. At least, that is the word around the Watchpoint."

Ren snickered a little at the thought. "I guess that'll be a story for another time."

"Indeed. I will say that I find it as strangely appropriate, as the word 'horse' is not found in the title of 'cowpoke'," Zenyatta said, opening the dorm room door. "I look forward to our next session, Mister Ren."

"As do I, Master Zenyatta," replied Ren with a small bow.

Returning the bow with a small bow of his own, Zenyatta exited Team JNPR's dorm room and quietly shut the door behind him. Looking at the door directly across the room he just left, Zenyatta almost couldn't believe at how much of a coincidence that the person he was looking for was located only a dozen feet away. That certainly saved him a lot of time and effort.

Floating up the door, Zenyatta gently rapped his metal knuckles on the wood and waited. Zenyatta's mental processor lit up with a manner of excitement. It was a pleasure for Zenyatta to meet new potential pupils, no matter how many times it happened.

 **XXX**

"Coming!" Ruby chirped as she walked towards her door. She couldn't help but wonder who was knocking at the door. As far as she was aware, everyone else on Team RWBY had gone their separate ways for the day. Yang went out to walk and play with Zwei in the Beacon Academy botanical gardens, and Weiss and Blake went shopping in Vale City for clothes, school supplies, and other odd ends. Maybe one of them came back early?

Instead of being greeted by her sister and her dog, or her friends holding shopping bags, Ruby instead saw a rather peculiar robot standing at her doorstep. Actually, 'standing' wasn't exactly accurate, since the robot was floating in a lotus position. See that was just about as weird as the golden orbs circling around the robot's neck. All in all, it was a rather odd thing to see indeed.

"Umm… Hi?" Ruby confusedly greeted.

"Greetings, miss. Are you Ruby Rose?" the robot asked in a kind, relaxed voice.

"Uh, yes?" Ruby replied. Weird, how did that robot know her name?

The robot bowed it's head slightly in greeting. "I am Tekhartha Zenyatta, formerly of the Shambali monastery. I was made aware that some of your friends are concerned about you. May I come in?"

"Yeah, sure!' Ruby offered, snapping back out of her thoughts. Stepping aside to let the robot pass, the metal person silently hovered towards the center of the room and faced her.

"I do apologize if it seems as if I am being pushy," Zenyatta apologized. "But I simply cannot stand to the side if I am made aware that someone may need assistance."

"What?" Ruby asked, now even more confused. "Who said I needed help?"

"A teammate of yours. A Miss Weiss Schnee, to be precise," explained Zenyatta. "She was worried about you after you did not want to spend time with her. Miss Weiss made it sound that this was out of character for you."

It took a few seconds to think back to the other day, and then the realization hit Ruby. "Oh, that! Weiss was really worried about that?"

"Indeed," replied Zenyatta. "So, if you do not mind me asking, do you need any personal assistance? I have mentored many people, both Omnic and Human, so please do not feel afraid to ask for help."

Ruby shut the dorm room door and sat on a nearby desk chair. She couldn't help but feel a little off-put by this. The fact that Weiss cared deeply enough for Ruby enough to try and get help for her was a bit of a shock. Sure, Ruby knew that Weiss was softer on the inside than the outside, but this was a lot more than she expected.

Ruby's voice sounded mentally distant as she said, "Well, I was gonna do something personal that day, so… yeah. I mean, I didn't do it, but still."

"If you do not wish to discuss it, that is alright," said Zenyatta. He could tell from Ruby's body language and tone that she wasn't exactly feeling comfortable. Even across people and species, there were things that always remained consistent when people faced difficult emotions.

A resigned sigh escaped Ruby's lips. "I mean, it's nothing special. I just wanted to visit a grave yesterday. I don't see why Weiss would want to come along anyways…"

Zenyatta hummed in understanding. "Ah, I see. You are still coping with loss of someone you knew."

"Yeah, you're right there," admitted Ruby.

"In any case, you are not alone in possessing that feeling of loss," said Zenyatta. "But I am fairly sure that you have heard that before. Anyone who has experienced loss has."

Ruby huffed a little in agreement. "Well, yeah, everyone I know has dealt with it before. It's not exactly something special, ya know?"

"It does not mean that you need to suffer alone. If you ever need my assistance, I am sure that Mister Ren across the way would be more than willing to let you know of my location," Zenyatta offered. Even though he didn't reside in this world, Zenyatta was certain that he showed up frequently enough that assistance would be readily available regardless.

"Thanks for the offer, but…" Ruby couldn't help but ask, "Who even are you? Are you some kinda robot therapist?"

Zenyatta couldn't help but lightly chuckle at that. As for Ruby, she couldn't help but wonder why she kept on having odd encounters involving robots. First Penny, then that one mech chase down the Vale City freeway, and now a robot showed up at her doorstep offering to help her sort out her emotions. It was like she was a magnet for robots.

"I am afraid not. I do not have a degree in psychological therapy. Life has been my teacher, rather than any institution. Besides, it is much cheaper that way," Zenyatta lightly joked, a slightly playful tone in his voice.

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle a little herself. This Zenyatta robot person certainly had a warming quality to his voice that made a person's anxiety melt like ice on a hot summer day. There just something so polite and kind about him that was radiating off of him in powerful waves.

"Well, I guess it isn't every day that you meet a robo-life coach," Ruby replied, smiling a little.

"Indeed it is not," Zenyatta agreed. "But, I feel like this can be the start of a wonderful companionship."

The sound of making more friends definitely sounded appealing to Ruby. In her opinion, there was nothing wrong with making new friends, even if they were made of metal. If anything, having metal bits making up your body was even cooler than being made of squishy pink parts. Robots would not ever stop being cool!

"I mean, I already know some robots, so why not?" Ruby beamed.

Hovering over to where Ruby was seated, Zenyatta gave Ruby a nice pat on the shoulder. "I am glad to hear it," Zenyatta said. "I am sure that you will be a fine friend. I can sense the greatness and kindness in you already."

"We're all made for great things. That's why we're here, isn't it?" added Ruby.

Zenyatta nodded, appreciating how keen Ruby's response was. "Some people do not realize that in the entirety of their lives. You are a perceptive girl indeed."

At that, Zenyatta began to hover towards the door, sensing that his talk here was over. While he did not give any life advice yet, he felt that in due time him and Ruby could have some rather enlightening conversations together. He could see the simple, honest soul in her eyes. Sadly, a look like that was much rarer than Zenyatta would like to admit. But, he was certainly determined to seek out enlightenment alongside Miss Ruby Rose.

"Uh, when are you gonna stop by again?" Ruby asked, quickly getting up to open the door for Zenyatta.

"I should be in the area again within the next few days. Do not worry, I shall not be that long gone," answered Zenyatta.

"Where do you go to? Do you have a home?" Ruby inquired more.

"Indeed I do. In a rather faraway place at that. I am sure that my associates are going to need me soon, so I should get going," Zenyatta quickly explained.

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed. "Well, don't let me hold you up, Mister Zenyatta!"

Zenyatta bid Ruby goodbye with a hearty, "Farewell, Miss Ruby! I will be back sooner than you would think."

Zenyatta waved his hand at Ruby as he hovered out of Team RWBY's dorm room, as silent as still as he normally was. As soon as he left, the lack of noise from his departure made it seem as if nobody was around to visit at all.

Ruby closed the door behind the now-gone Zenyatta and went back to sitting in her desk chair. What an unusual experience that just was. It was as if potential friends were just being dropped in her lap left and right.

In the end, Ruby figured that she had nothing really to worry about compared to when she first arrived at Beacon Academy. All of her anxiety was for nothing. After all, if it was that easy to meet new, interesting people and make friends with them like that, then being scared about having social anxiety was silly in hindsight.

If there was one thing that Ruby Rose had learned at Beacon Academy so far, other than the duties of a Huntress, then it was that friends came in all shapes, sizes, and forms. That was probably the most important lesson of all.

 **XXX**

 **Okay, so, that was a nice and light chapter! Nothing too serious or heavy this time around. I feel that it's nice to have the setting of a foundation for a new friendship take place among some of the deeper stuff that's happened so far (and more to come). But, if you came here specifically for that, don't worry! There's going to be more stuff like that to come. I give you my word as The Draigg!**

 **On that note, be sure to let me know what you think so far! You readers are the greatest!**


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